Travelogue Books

Ornig's book is the first full account of this amazing adventure since Theodore Roosevelt was alive to tell it himself. Thanks to the author's years of meticulous research, we get to see the ex-president up close as every ounce of courage and determination that can possibly be required of a human being is exacted by this perilous expedition. Why would a man, having already carved his name in history, literally risk his life in service to exploration? The book title is informative; it was the kind of thing he loved to do. Roosevelt's passion for for life was abundantly demonstrated on the River of Doubt as he and his party encountered one life-threatening obstacle after another. If it wasn't the hostile natives who tracked them, it was the piranhas. If it wasn't a lack of food and supplies, it was flesh-eating disease.... As if fighting just to survive the forces of nature weren't enough, there was also the recklessness of some, including his own son. And there were personal conflicts among the explorers--disagreements, arguments, theft--and a murder. This wilderness adventure had it all--and it wasn't reality TV. No camera crew, no global positioning system, no one to bail them out at any point. In this age of apathy and plasticized existence, this story is all the more striking.

Thus, out of this book emerges a fresh portrait of Theodore Roosevelt. We learn a great deal about him under conditions of maximum stress. We also get to know the group of explorers who accompanied him. And the generous 48 pages of maps and photographs are a real plus. Many thanks to the author for rediscovering this story and dusting it off for us with such literary finesse. For a non-fiction history work, it reads like a novel.

Ornig provides the first detailed account of one of the most exciting adventure stories of the 20th century -- Theodore Roosevelt's exploration of the River of Doubt in Brazil's Amazon. The story is more incredible when you think that Roosevelt was a 55-year old former President at the time of the expedition. As we approach the 100th anniversary of Roosevelt's presidency, and as we consider our relationship with the earth, it is worth taking another look at this great outdoorsman. Ornig weaves together the political and diplomatic origins of the expedition and how Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and the rest of the expedition got much more than they bargained for. There's murder, there's drowning (and a question of whether Kermit Roosevelt was accountable), there's frustration, and there's a former President on the brink of death. After you read it, you'll want to read Roosevelt's account, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness." You'll enjoy that one too

TR's 1913-1914 expedition down the River of Doubt (subsequently renamed Rio Teodoro in his honor, and later Rio Roosevelt) is an astonishing piece of history - one often refered to in passing by other TR biographers, but not often fully explored, as it here. Author Ornig tells an exciting tale well, from the multitudious details of planning and executing a massive exploring expedition in the early 20th century, to vivid portraits of the characters involved. This book would be a wonderful companion for any adventure traveller (or even armchair adventurers).

Best of all, Ornig is no run-of-the-mill TR hagiographer (and there are plenty of them out there), nor is he interested in taking unfair potshots at the great man (plenty of those folks out there, too). Ornig simply relates events as they occured, and doesn't care a whit whether they cast TR in a favorable or unfavorable light: TR was a poor shot (due to his poor eyesight) and became grumpy and embarassed when he missed easy targets. TR was delighted with the impact on his waistline when the expedition was forced to subsist on reduced rations -- and argued against the restoration of full rations even though others were suffering. Do these facts detract from the TR legend, or add to it? I have never been a fan of Marble Men, and found that I loved TR even more after glimpsing some of his human flaws in MY LAST CHANCE TO BE A BOY. No student of TR should be without this volume.

Motavalli has created a wonderful interpretive picture of the media and public reactions to a great story in early 20th Century America. He puts the reader in the period, but brings us in contact with our ancestors and shows that we haven't progressed in terms of our love for the spectacular stunt! Joseph Knowles exploits thrilled the nation longing for a free show. Not unlike the infamous OJ low speed chase that captivated us a while back.

A good story, a wonderful interpretation and a great read!Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery

Never have I read a more fascinating account of salesmenship in America. As a nation the US prides itself on our frontier heritage,the quest for individuality & independence,& the pursuit of an ideal existence in harmony with nature, & making a few bucks along the way. This is a true American story !
This book Kept Me In Stitches !!!

We are often told that our nation, especially our menfolk, are getting soft, that we don't have the ruggedness of our forebears, that we spend too much time in our cities and not enough back to the land, and that as a result we are losing some moral anchor which used to hold us in good stead. The trouble is that we have been told this for at least a hundred years, probably further back than that, and the message has not changed much, although it is a message that is enthusiastically boosted by many. Our coddled and citified society went faddishly berserk in 1913 for a man who simply went into the woods of Maine, vowing to stay there for two months on his own, unassisted by any technology. Joseph Knowles was a sensation at the time, now forgotten. His astonishing story is the subject of _Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery_ (Da Capo Press) by Jim Motavalli. The author, a journalist who writes on environmental themes, has picked from obscurity a wonderful subject, not just Knowles but also the anxiety we tend to have that we are out of touch with natural life.

Knowles was all of 43 years old when he went into the woods. He had been a sailor, trapper, and scout, but what he wanted to be was an artist. He had some untutored skill in painting, and was making sketches and paintings in Boston for a decade when he got the idea (perhaps in a dream) to go support himself in the woods. The _Boston Post_, always ready for a circulation gimmick, was ready to back him. "Can Knowles Live Two Months as a Cave Man?" came the headlines, and though the paper hyped the event, people were sincerely interested in the man-against-the-wilderness theme. Knowles was photographed and interviewed, and given a physical exam before trotting off to the woods in nothing but a g-string. When he emerged from the woods two months later, he had lost weight, but he was no longer naked, wearing birch sandals and the skin of a bear he had trapped and killed. He had caught the national spirit; he was viewed as a hero, awing crowds wherever he went. The bitter rival of the _Post_, the Hearst-owned _Boston Sunday American_, got onto the Knowles bandwagon by debunking it. Knowles, according to the revision, had spent two months in a log cabin with food (and even female companionship) delivered to him. Knowles had a couple of other wilderness trips, and then went on the lecture circuit and wrote a back-to-nature book about his experiences as the "Nature Man". The last third of _Naked in the Woods_ has mostly to do with his painting career; he did commissioned murals and small-scale calendar art.

Knowles died in 1942. His artwork is still collected by some, and the Ilwaco Heritage Museum had a retrospective last year. We still have the Nature Man with us, in the form of "Survivor"-type television shows. Going wilderness is the show for Bear Grylls, who has starred in the British program _Man vs. Wild_, and who last year underwent a Knowles-type debunking for spending his nights in cozy hotels rather than in the wild where he was assumed to be keeping himself. Motavalli has a wonderful time with this story, and presents it in all its humorous aspects, but finds something serious in what Knowles had to tell us then and now: "He may have been at least partly a fraud, but he was nonetheless successful in communicating a powerful and useful message to an anxiety-stricken age."

Kim Heacox shows in his book,Antarctic Value daily way of life in the Southern Antarctica. The writer recounts to us the history of discovery missions sent to this continent,which is characterized by its interesting style with avery wonderful and unique photos taken be these missions. These photos interpret the very nature of hard life over there on the Antarctica. All the pictures tell the story of human,animal,sea life in this continent in splendid and exciting manner. In addition, there are sufficient and helpful remarks about every thing pertinent to Antarctica. of course,the Antarctica enjoys many splendid characteristics in animal and sea life, which make it distinguished and unique in all over the world. There are also many detailed maps about the Antarctica. It is a minimum- size volume distinguished in its subject matter and photos, which are represented in simple and easy manner. N. B.: It should be noted that the success of an geographical/travel guide book depends on the sufficient number of photos available their quality and uniqueness.in this book we find that there are many photos covering all life aspects on this continent. The photos are of high quality and exciting shots which attract your attention to the extent that you would imagine that you would believe that the photos represents one book inside this book. In short this book is recommended for any one who likes to discover this ambiguous area and who can not visit it. Iconsider this book as a reference/easy guide for the wonderful southern Antarctica.

I've been fascinated with Antarctica for some time now, and I recently acquired several books on the continent after seeing the Boston Museum of Science Omni Show, "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure." Of those books, this is clearly the best. It provides information on the geography and topography of Antarctica, a history of South Pole explorations, and information on the wildlife that populates the coasts. The pictures are far superior to any other book I've read. The writing is concise and easy to understand. It is a truly amazing book--the pictures alone are worth the cost.

When I needed reference material on Antarctica for fact-checking my next suspense novel, I turned to this National Geographic classic. I expected the usual fare: extraordinary photography and a few pertinent bits of data. My expectations were exceeded.

The volume is divided into four sections. The first covers the physical geography, a litany of world record extremes. The coldest, driest, highest, windiest, least populated, etc. The next touches on the rich heritage of exploration and discovery there, incredible tales of bravery and hardship like those of Shackleton, Scott, and Mawson. You'll want to read more after this primer. The third section is on wildlife, very little of which is land-based. But the surrounding seas and sky are the most fertile and abundant on the planet. Penguins, seals, squid, krill, albatross, whales, algae, and more. The final section is devoted to Antarctica's environmental peril. Kim Heacox simply states the facts here, avoiding the overstatement and wolf-crying that cause such disservice to the environmental movement.

The biggest surprise was the quality of writing. My previous exposure to National Geographic was cursory perusal at the dentist's office. This one I read from cover to cover. The writing is simply wonderful. It was the mother lode of information for my next book, and will now rest on my coffee table, proudly displayed for years to come. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

Requires a black man from England to slip behind the curtain and report on the quondam parlous State of african americans... He did it. You should read it. Who ever you may be.

Truly a good read on many levels-- as a travelogue, as a history review of a critical time in US emancipation.. It's all good.
And well crafted too; beautifully polished phrases encapsulate moments and people. Really, it's all good.

Gary Younge is a young British journalist of Bermudan descent, who decides to take a trip through the American South in search of some of the symbols of black culture he most identified with in his youth. Along the way Younge interviews a variety of activists, civil rights figures, and every day people, and comments on the landscape around him.

As an American living in Britain, this book was fascinating to me. Younge goes on a classic "fish out of water" tour of the US, but the racial twist makes the book all the more interesting. The book is at turns sad, thought-provoking, and even at times laugh out loud funny. (Check out the letter he finds left in a motel room drawer.) Younge is surprisingly fair in his interpretation of the culture he meets, giving credit where it is due, and genuinely seeming to see both sides of the story. This is surprising because the author freely admits to his Marxist youth: he (still) refuses to stand for the Union Jack, though he proudly rises for the playing of the Internationale. Given that background, I expected a much more harsh view of the US, but Younge manages to surprise me.

The book is a quick read, and I wish Younge had lingered in a couple of places a bit more: his passages on Savannah and New Orleans are unfortunately short. The book ends up more as a sociological/political book than a travel book, but Mr. Younge has all the makings of a great travel writer, with a keen ear for interestinc characters and dialogue, and an ability to evoke the essence of a place. Nevertheless, I can still strongly recommend this book to anyone: five stars.

Gary Younge is a black Englishman who decides to travel through the US South by bus, following the path of the 1961 Freedom Riders, who did such things as having their black participants use white-only restrooms in an effort to spur civil rights reforms. The Freedom Riders were key players in the US civil rights movement, and some of them were beaten or even murdered. Younge wanted to retrace their steps in 1997 to see if there was anything that would resonate with him as a British black man.

The book is successful on several levels: As a travelogue, as a history of the civil rights movement, and as an introduction to the South for the non-US reader. (A blunt hint from Younge to non-US readers: Avoid long-distance bus trips.)

To my surprise, Younge was generally positive about the US, despite some instances when he's exposed to modern racism, such as being turned away from an empty motel. Although racism lingers, Younge seems impressed that the US has dealt with its sordid past of racial oppression in a more constructive manner than Britain has. He marvels that US blacks can salute the flag and be patriotic without feeling hypocritical, whereas he, as a British black, finds it impossible to salute the Union Jack or to feel patriotism as a Brit. All in all, it's a fascinating treatment of the American South and its complicated history of race relations.

In 1992, Dave Stamboulis began a bicycle trip that was to last seven years and 40,000 kilometers around the world. Odysseus' Last Stand: The Chronicles Of A Bicycle Nomad his his account of his adventures as he bicycled through obscure countries and foreign cultures, taking in all the sights, sounds, and teeming life that can be viewed from the slower and more intimate pace of a bicycle. What motivated Stamboulis to his epic odyssey was the need to slow down in a world that was moving every faster, and to explore the role that the bicycle plays in peoples' lives around the world. Odysseus' Last Stand is also a candid and informative study of an attempt to find his place in a world that is a complex web of tensions between ancient traditions and technological/industrial progress, value differences between the developed and the developing countries. Along the way we are treated with insights, compassion, and a great deal of humor. Enhanced with eight pages of color photographs, Odysseus' Last Stand: The Chronicles Of A Bicycle Nomad is especially recommended reading for armchair travelers, as well as anyone who has thought about traveling the world along the lesser known paths.

I've read a fair number of cycling oddessy books because I like the topic. Admittedly, within this genre, it can be rare to find a book that is well written, and even rarer to find one with a compelling narrative. However, this gem scores well on both accounts. The author has a lot of material to draw from, as he describes a 7 year adventure around the globe that takes him to some pretty rough but exciting places. More importantly, the events the author faces have a deep impact on him. He conveys this with thoughtfulness and intelligence, but the text is never preachy. This book does offer a unique and honest perspective on world travel however. The events described really stuck with me after I had turned the last page, and I was sad to see the adventure end. For me, "Odysseus' Last Stand : The Chronicles of a Bicycle Nomad," represents the best of the genre. For a more humorous collection of cycle travel anecdotes, Kurmaskie's Metal Cowboy is quite good.

I take my hat off to Dave for pulling this off. He travels 40,000 kms across some of the most inhospitable, yet sometimes beautiful terrain in Japan, China, Nepal, India, Australia, South East Asia, Turkey, across many countries in Europe and finally, through his homeland, the US. He lives in some of these countries for varying periods of time and his entire journey takes 8 years to complete. It is an amazing story of the man and his diverse experiences with humankind. A must read for those who love adventure.

I bought this book as a gift for my cousin and his son, because I had bought this for myself previously. I was sorry my mother and I didn't find any of the gold tokens, but it was neat to see the explanations of the clues and read about how the finders solved the puzzles

The original, "A Treasure's Trove" book, was a fun treasure hunting experience for our family. The solution book gave us great insight to clues we may have overlooked. We are looking forward to the next book: "The Alchemist's Dar". What a wonderful concept written by a very talented author.

The solution book for A Treasures Trove explained in detail about the treasure hunt for a treasures trove. It was amazing looking at the things that I overlooked, and also discouraging. "If only I had known"...etc...are still racing through my head. If you have no idea what Treasure Hunt I am talking about, it is called "A Treasure's Trove", you can order it online.
If you are able to cope with the fact that you came "this close", then I would recommend this solution book. If you cant, then dont read it. I would recommend trying (even after the hunt is over) to solve the puzzle.

Travelers tales are amongst my favourite reading, so I was delighted to find Alan Behr's dry humored account of his travels in the "chocolate belt" in Europe. As a recent bachelor, and still very cautious of involvement, Behr revisits his old travel haunts, casually giving us the pleasure of some wonderfully crafted writing and the benefit of his extensive research of local history.

Despite his family having to flee war torn Europe in the late 30's, Behr feels strongly connected to his German roots and writes affectionately and knowledgeably about the country. I found this particularly interesting as I was born in Germany, but had previously only heard disparaging stories about the country as my family suffered under the Nazi reign. Feeling Behr's connection, added another dimension and opened some doors on my rather narrow view.

Some of Behr's sexual dalliances made me wonder in which direction the story was heading, but the tale gains great warmth and depth when Alan meets Julie, the real love interest.Together they go traveling back to Europe and into exploring their emotions. It all makes for compulsive reading!

We are a couple of post peak yuppies who work too much and spend the best moments of our lives travelling.

Alan Behr's very insighful observations are well wrought , highly entertaining and even profound. The book also provides legitimate historical information thaat goes far beyond most tourist guides. But for us, the best aspect of his book is his depiction of the conquest of love and discovery of self through travel in the European settings that we both know so well.

The only minor note is that the book could use an index, to navigate more easily from city to city.

For anyone who loves Europe, travelling, or just loving his/her partner and trying to figure out the meaning of our voyage in life, this book is a delightful companion.

Once around the fountain book review
November 25, 2001

I have always enjoyed travel accounts written by writers in their thirties and forties because at this time in their lives, most writers (at least the good ones) bring just the right amount of own personal baggage along. In other words, if they tell it right, there is an interesting balance of give and take--sometimes the travel writer changes the landscape and sometimes the landscape changes him.

As I result, I enjoyed reading the mature but unjaded observations of travel writer/ attorney Alan Behr. He writes about a decade of European travel that begins in his early thirties and ends in his early forties. He begins his travels as a bachelor and there is a sexual "give and take" as he has an affair with a destitute but resourceful young chambermaid in Budapest--and rejects the advances of a wealthy, less resourceful dowager he meets at a café in Portofino.

Mid-way through his memoirs, he cautiously starts to travel with Julie Hackett, a New York fashion consultant, whom he quickly realizes is "the one." Julie turns out to be an energetic and enthusiastic traveler and the give and take continues, sometimes romantically, and sometimes, literally, as Behr tracks down a pair of white pants that Julie leaves behind in a hotel room. While at first they squabble over driving and navigation, soon Alan and Julie are traveling as a finely tuned pair, even coordinating efforts to save and travel with an unwieldy pineapple left from a hotel gift basket.

This book educates as it amuses. Behr, currently a New Yorker by way of New Orleans, is descended from a family forced to flee Germany during World War II. His German roots run so deep, that he holds dual American and German citizenships-and has the passports to prove it. As a result, he is at his best describing Germany- and we learn a great deal about German architecture and history, as well as the nature of its people.

Behr describes the cathedral of Cologne, which has withstood World War II bombers and an earthquake, writing that it "towers above a city rebuilt on the quick by the lowest bidder, a Gothic thumb in the modernist eye."

On a Sunday at dawn at Hamburg's open-air fish market, he sees "bacchants and churchgoers contentedly carried away swaddled fish and tubs filled with houseplants rumored to be Dutch and disease-ridden."

This book reminds me of another that I enjoyed-- New Yorker Adam Gopnik's book Paris to the Moon-even though Gopnik stayed in one place and Behr moves around. In both cases, however, these books on European lifestyle and travel are more about people than they are about places and things.

Highly recommended!

Oxford is one of the most intriguing, enchanting, mysterious, historical and beautiful cities in the world. It is the location of _Alice in Wonderland_, _The Wind in the Willows_, much of Waugh's _Brideshead Revisited_, and Dorothy Sayer's _Gaudy Night_. Jan Morris's book is a celebration of this city so witty, so well informed, and so gripping that you may find it to be the best "travel book" you have ever read. A must for anglophiles, lovers of cities, lovers of literature, architecture, and history, and those fascinated by university life. I myself have the same experience as Susan Hill, a reviewer in the (London) Times, who wrote, "I devoured, and now constantly dip with delight into _Oxford_."

Jan Morris writes in a verbose style that you either immediately love or loathe. I am fortunate to belong to the former category. Few writers could capture the wonder of one of England's oldest and most famous cities with such panache. Having lived in and experienced Oxford first hand, Morris captures perfectly some of my sentiments towards the place that I could never dream of putting down in words.

The writing does border on the extravagant at times, but then again, what would a good piece of travel writing be without a little self-indulgence on the part of the author?

Some people would also criticise the book for its arbitrariness. But the book was never intended to be a travel guide and one would be sorely disappointed if one were to read it as such. Neither was the book ever meant as an authoritative history of the place, or anything of the like.

Not a piece of writing that would suit everyone's taste. But if you're looking to enjoy some lucid prose that conjures up vivid images of Oxford's long history, eccentric traditions and wonderfully diverse inhabitants, then you'd be sure to find this a delightful read.

This is an urbane, witty book, beautifully written and structured so that every facet of Oxford is covered in a very readable manner.
Although I loved Oxford to begin with, this book enhanced my appreciation of the city and I feel that I know more about its history and its manners now than I ever did before.
Jan Morris never resorts to sentimentality, but she shows her enjoyment of her research in many ways.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely interested in "The Oxford Story".

This book is quite heap of information and tips for packing luggage the right way. I'd recommend this for people who always travel - like me. :-)

This is a comprehensive book for the traveler. I read it every time I am about to take another trip just to make sure I don't overpack or forget something. BUY THIS BOOK FOR EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW THAT TRAVELS. Makes a great gift.

There is SO much more to packing than simply putting your items in a suitcase. In this book, Anne McAlpin makes suggestions on how to pack fewer items and eliminate the need for bulky, heavy luggage. She shows you how to hang pants on a hanger so they don't come off, and also how to pack pants without getting wrinkles at the knees. She even made an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show in April 1999, and demostrated how easy packing could be. Interesting reading, and makes a great gift for the regular traveler.

Spain fascinates me for some of the same reasons that intrigued Richard Wright when he wrote this book a few years before his untimely death. Wright ascertains that Spain is a contradiction,a holy nation that does ungodly acts, a superpower from the past trying to find its way in the modern world. Wright's main issue is exploring religion, namely Roman Catholism but along the way divulges his insights into a society plagued by it's past and present which at the time(1954)was still under Franco's influence. One of the more interesting aspects of this book is his discovery of a little book all young women must read and memorize. It turns out to be a sort of indoctrination to being "Spanish." Take an excerpt from Chapter 1, "Spain is a historical unit with a specific role to play in the world." This role is tied to religion and the conversion of all, by any means neccessary as exemplified with the conquest of the Americas; the gold and riches were just a by product of the divine nature of the conquest, a sort of earthly reward. Further on in the book destiny is defined as "all men in a common movement for salvation." In essence the belief is that Spain although no longer a superpower will be fundamental in the salvation of the world.Wright reads chapters of the book throughout his travels and shares them with the reader. Some of the Falangist concepts about Imperial Spain and how it pertains to the current state of affairs is amazing in it's ethnocentrism. The ideas from the Falangist book are worth reading this book for alone. Along his travels Wright sees the contradictions everywhere, racism, sexism and exploitation of women is rampant but sex sells, for it's price. So much for the high morality. One section is entitled " Sex , Flamenco and Prostitutuion" in which he explores this part of Spain that goes against the teachings of the church. Wright tries to live the life as regular people do and see it through their eyes. He buys a poor family a ticket to the bullfights and learns more lessons and observations on Spanish life. I found this book hard to put down and read it over a few brief settings while listening to Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" as interpreted by Miles Davis on "Sketches of Spain". The material is fascinating and makes you think about many things especially if you happen to have Spanish heritage in your veins somewhere. Highly insightful and worth reading for the perspective of an outsider. Recommended reading from high school to adult although it might offend some Catholics.

I'm a fan of Wright's but had not heard of this book. It's one of those you start reading and it just fascinates you so you can't put it down. Part travelogue, part social critique, this work of Wright's is refreshing because we see it through the eyes of someone who hasn't be educated or socialized out of believing what he sees. I've always felt that in some places Catholicism is practed in a cult-like way. Wright shows how much power the Church had and what the results were.

This book had, says the introduction, been out of print for many years before being briefly republished several years ago. If anyone is able to purchase or obtain this work, they will find it an insightful view into a Spain still largely unknown by and officially protected from America and much of Europe. It was written in the mid-fifties after Wright had taken three journeys to that country. His argument is that Spain is still pagan: a primitive land untouched by the outside world for better or worse. On one hand, the Spanish practice an almost superstitious, certainly paternalist Catholicism which straightjackets women and suspects the few Spaniards daring to practice Protestantism. More positively, Wright finds, Spaniards have no race consciousness derived from outside sources. Wright notes that though obviously of African background, he was not discriminated against in terms of accomodation, dining, or socializing. He talks with a variety of Spaniards. Many question the Franco regime; are anticlerical and sceptical of Spanish values and history. Wright's descriptions of the often intimidating landscape, of bullfights and the celebration of Holy Week in Seville, are excellent. He maintains a basic criticism of the domination of the Church throughout.This brought adverse reaction when the work originally appeared, during an ultra-conservative era when religion was considered a bastion against communism. Wright 's sympathies for Spanish women, be they housewives, prospective brides or prostitutes, is farseeing. He understands the stereotypes women are subject to, especially in such a traditional society.Wright, an ex-communist, still had nostalgic feelings for the fledgling Spanish Republic. The Civil War is a subject only mentioned in confidence to him, so then recent was that struggle. For anyone wishing a broad-minded, well-written portrayal of a country that has fascinated many writers, "Pagan Spain" would be very worthwhile.